Well it's that time of year again. It seems that, for the near future, global warming has consigned us to about two days a year of snow and two weeks of slush and ice- such a very British problem. Now anyone who knows me remotely well will know that I'm a bit of a cynical, let's-stay-in-the-house-all-day kind of guy when it comes to snow but I refuse point blank to make this into a cynical post so instead I thought I'd point to a couple of observations I've made in my 21 winters of watching people in the snow.
First of all, oh my lord how we used to look forward to snow days when we were younger. It's only one day, maybe two at most, but the excitement that bubbles inside a person between the ages of 11 and 16 when the possibility of a random day off from school to frolic in the snow arises (especially considering I have to get up at 9 just one morning of the week and even then find it an absolute mission) is unfathomable. The moment the first drop falls and you're stood in the school courtyard, there is literally only one question to be asked- 'reckon we'll get a day off sir'??
To my great dismay, yesterday I found myself checking my old school's website to see if the kids were going to be treated to a day of freezing their bits off in the park, and turns out they wouldn't have been disappointed. Personally I reckon teachers should grant kids a snow day a year regardless of how bad it is. It's only one day off and the morale boost for the rest of the week would be immeasurable, I should work for the Department of Education really.
Second of all, is it me or when the moment snow arrives does the traditional British phrasebook suddenly get bigger. Walking the snowy streets, you suddenly find yourself hearing new phrases being thrown about that simply wouldn't make sense in the middle of May. 'Will it settle' (or 'stick' as my housemate from the Midlands reliably informs me is her local lingo) is my personal favourite, referring to whether the snow will remain on the ground or melt. I mean, that phrase absolutely doesn't apply to anything ever and yet when snow comes around 90% of the entire population seem to be madly debating over whether it's going to 'settle' (or 'stick).
Then there's the great lengths people will go to to describe the great lengths of snow they've witnessed. 'We've had six inches' is a common one, or even worse, ''Insert traditional English name's' got six inches'. Many an 80 year old biddy has uttered this phrase and not realised the ridiculous euphemistic connotations it offers up, especially as six inches seems to be the most common length mentioned and is also, apparently, the most common length of western penis size.
Yeah I think I'll stop there... this guy's definitely got more than six inches.
Hey Sholay have, in recent times, cemented themselves as one of the ultimate cult favourites of the Yorkshire music scene. Firstly, they gig furiously. Barely a month goes by when they can't be seen on the bill of one of the cult venues around Sheffield and Leeds, most recently at the Library Theatre, Sheffield. For those of you lucky enough to have been at that show, or having seen them anywhere else for that matter, I hope to get round to it very soon and have only heard good things.
2012 has seen them make quite a breakthrough, with a hugely successful supporting slot for Sheffield sweethearts The Crookes at Queens Social Club, and more importantly the release of their debut album '((O))'. An odd name it must be said but the name is just a reflection of their seemingly weird and wonderful tastes in all things artistic. Their FB description goes as follows:
Hey Sholay are a five-piece group of musicians , filmmakers and artists from Sheffield and Leeds, who play a breed of psychedelic independent pop with a hint of the Northern lights captured in a jam jar.
The first two lines are rather ordinary but what the fuck they mean by 'Northern lights captured in a jam jar' is anyone's guess. Whatever it is, it works wonders, and is testament to the steep rise in popularity brought upon them in the past 12 months. Alt-J were arguably the biggest success story of 2012 and I believe that much of that success can be attributed to lead singer Joe Newman and his ridiculously quirky voice. To a lesser extent, the same can be attributed to Hey Sholay's lead vocalist (whom I have scoured the internet for the name of but have failed miserably). It strikes you from the first word of crowd-favourite 'Burning' and continues to resonate throughout the album.
'Burning' is pure class, a song with a catchy enough chorus to remain in your head throughout the day but also one which doesn't bore easily. Other songs, mostly to be found off the album, are equally impressive and showcase the multiple sides and talents of this remarkable five-piece. 'Wishbone' is the album opener and is one of its many tracks that makes you wonder why Hey Sholay haven't acquired more of a fan-base outside of Yorkshire. It's another song which has all the makings of an indie classic but offers far more with every listen and the same can be said of the epic, and regular live closer, 'The Bears the Clocks the Bees' (FYI- I didn't miss out the commas that's actually how the song is written on the tracklist).
Those three are probably the highest in quality but to be honest I can safely say there isn't a bad song on '((O))' and it really does deserve more of a mainstream UK-wide reception than what it has so far gained. In a recent album review for Drowned in Sound, Journalist Robert Cooke opened with the line, 'Out there, somewhere, there's a parallel universe where Hey Sholay are selling out arenas, breaking America and dating women twice their age'. This statement rings truer and truer as the listener becomes more and more familiar with '((O))'.
A few weeks ago, these poor buggers had all their kit nicked from their van, including a large number of expensive customised gear, but their love for what they do shone through and they managed to finish what was a lengthy UK tour. How any man or woman could have a black enough heart to steal from these charming fellows is a tricky one to fathom.
That's all for this week, as you can tell I'm pretty passionate about these guys, so if you get a minute give '((O))' a listen and you won't regret it. I had my first request last week for a band which I'm really fucking excited about so keep a lookout for that next Saturday.
Cheers as always for reading.
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